To set up a shared photo album for your event, create one event in a shared album app, set a reveal time if you want, and share the QR code with your guests — they scan it to add photos with no app download, and every photo lands in one place. The whole thing takes a couple of minutes. Here's the step-by-step.
Whether it's a wedding, a birthday, a reunion or an office party, the goal is the same: capture the event from everyone's perspective without chasing people for their photos afterward. A shared album does exactly that. Here's how to set one up properly so you actually get the photos.
What you'll need
- A shared album or shared-camera app (we'll use Keeps as the example)
- A few minutes before the event
- Somewhere to display a QR code — table cards, a sign, or the program
Step 1: Create the event
Open your app and create a single shared event for the occasion. Give it a clear, fun name so guests recognize it. This creates one album that every guest's photos will flow into.
Step 2: Choose live or delayed reveal
Decide how guests experience the photos:
- Live gallery — photos appear as they're taken. Good for reception screens and instant gratification.
- Delayed reveal — photos stay hidden until a time you set (often the morning after). This keeps guests present during the event and turns the reveal into a shared moment. It's the disposable-camera approach, and what Keeps uses by default.
If you're not sure, the delayed reveal is the more memorable choice for most social events.
Step 3: Set the details
A few quick settings make a big difference:
- Reveal time — when the photos unlock (for a delayed reveal).
- Shots per guest — optionally cap each guest's photos to mirror a real disposable camera and keep shots intentional.
- Downloads — confirm guests can download the full-resolution photos afterward.
Step 4: Get your QR code and link
Your app generates a QR code and a shareable link. This is how guests join — and with the best apps, scanning it opens the camera in the browser with no app download and no account. That low friction is the whole game: no-download joining reaches roughly 80–95% guest participation, versus 15–25% when an install is required.
Step 5: Display the code where guests will see it
Participation depends on visibility. Put the QR code on:
- Table cards or a small sign on each table
- The event program or order of service
- A larger sign by the entrance, bar, or guestbook
- A digital screen, if you have one
Step 6: Prompt guests once
People forget — one nudge fixes it. Have a host, MC, or sign say a single line: "Scan the code to add your photos to our album." Do it early, while guests are fresh.
Step 7: Reveal and download
After the event (or at your reveal time), all the photos unlock. Download the full-resolution originals, share the album back with your guests, and you're done — every angle of the event, in one place, with zero collecting afterward.
A quick setup checklist
- Event created and named
- Live vs. delayed reveal chosen
- Reveal time and shot limit set
- QR code printed and placed where guests gather
- One verbal prompt planned
- Full-resolution download confirmed for afterward
That's it
A shared album is the difference between remembering your event through a handful of your own photos and reliving it through everyone's. Set it up once, make the QR code unmissable, and let your guests capture the rest.
Keeps makes the whole process effortless — works for weddings, birthdays, group trips and more. See pricing, or learn the bigger idea in what is a digital disposable camera.
Try Keeps at your next event
Free for up to 5 guests · iOS — guests join by link or QR, no app needed
Frequently asked questions
Pick a shared album app, create one event, set a reveal time if you want the photos hidden until later, and share the QR code or link with your guests. Guests scan it to add photos — no app download with the best options — and everything lands in one place. With Keeps you can set this up in a couple of minutes.